4 of us stayed at Paradiso Village recently - we had the entire resort to ourselves for most of the time so it was lovely and quiet. The resort is on the edge of an extinct volcanic crater and looks almost like an alpine lake when the sea is still!
We had a cottage sea facing - from the outside it looks completely innocuous but when you open the door, you are amazed by what they have fitted in that relatively speaking, fairly small space. A wooden ladder takes you up to the loft where the double bed is. There are table lamps for reading and a ceiling fan. A mosquito net over the bed (important as there are all sorts of bugs).
Downstairs, there is a lounge area, a dressing table and 2 wardrobes (cleverly concealed by hanging quiilts) and the bathroom which is almost the same size as the living area. There is a hot shower (great for after night dives!) and the water drains away through the slats in the floor to the grass below. The bathroom is large enough for a dry area where you can dress in front of the mirror and there are enough hangers for you to hang your dry clothes, swimsuits, towels etc. A little wooden ledge by the shower to put your shampoo and soap. Extra toilet paper, tissue and even bug repellent under a little glass topped unit in the bathroom. It's the thoughtful little things like this which make the cottage so charming.
No air conditioning but you don't really need it - the first night we were there it was actually quite chilly as it had been drizzling a little.
Nanni and Federica are the consummate hosts - very discreet but always on hand for all your needs - you really do feel like you are visiting friends, instead of being paying guests!
We were there to dive - Marco the resident dive instructor is lovely, the most non-egoistic and non-macho dive instructor we have ever met, which is a pleasant surprise in a largely testesterone driven sport. We had all the sites to ourselves as there are no other dive resorts on that side of Sumatera - as a result of that, the fish were fairly friendly and curious, and the coral pristine.
After each dive, Federica would be on hand to offer us tea or coffee (or wine, after a particular chilly night dive!) and crunchy italian bread sticks, deep fried tempeh squares or home made coconut biscuits.
And the meals were all wonderful - the staples are rice and sambal, surely the most wonderful sambal ever - with various types of salad, chicken or some fish/shellfish and fabulous desserts. Everyone eats together including Nanni, Federica and Marco.
If you don't dive it is still a good place for a break. It is totally the sort of place where you can just sit and read and while the day away.

We came upon this gorgeous little resort, called Cubadak-Paradiso Village (West Sumatra, Indonesia) purely by chance when someone left a travel brochure in the employees' kitchen. As we were always eager to leave the smog of Jakarta, we decided to plan a little getaway to this mysterious little resort, run by an Italian family. We communicated with the resort via email and booked a 4-day stay.

The resort is easily reached by plane from Jakarta, Indonesia via Padang, using one of the many local carriers. From outside of Indonesia, one may reach the resort by flying through Singapore or Kuala Lumpur and connecting to Padang, West Sumatra.

Transferring from airport to resort:

We arrived at the Padang airport on time and a van from the resort was waiting for us. The driver cheerfully greeted us, picked up our luggage and we proceeded with our 1.5 hour scenic drive south of Padang.

Once we arrived at a little village, facing Cubadak Island, in a modest pier, the hotel’s small motor boat was waiting to take us to the resort.

We traveled for about 10-minutes and the little resort appeared in the horizon. As we approached the resort’s pier, the owner, Federica, was waiving at us, just like in “Fantasy Island”. Once landed, we were greeted with a hug and kisses, just as if we were long-time friends! As the sun was beginning to set, Federica announced the other guest would be gathering for cocktails and that dinner would be promptly served at 8:00 p.m.


The Resort:

There are ten, water-front guest cottages, and one suite-cottage above the water. All the cottages are decorated with Minangkau (the tribes of the mountains in Sumatra) wood carvings, fabrics and photographs depicting the Mentawai tribes. All cottages have a verandah, and except for the suite cottage, all have an upper bedroom and a living room which can be transformed into an extra bedroom. All bathrooms are nice and big and offer a shower with hot and cold water.

Our suite, which was above the water and removed from all other cottages, was very private and absolutely beautiful, in a demure sort of way. The bathroom floor, made of wooden slats, afforded a view of the many colorful fish swimming below our feet! Looking out the windows afforded the same spectacular view of the aquarium below us, as well as the palm trees and mountains in the horizon. From our verandah, we were able go down the steps and begin snorkeling; there were so many fish right there, it was phenomenal!

The resort’s beach is roughly 2.5 miles long and the total land mass for the entire village is village is around 14 acres. The employees and management‘s cottages are set behind the guest‘s quarters.

The restaurant:

The resort offers an all-inclusive package, and all meals are taken at the main pavilion. A bell is rung to announce the meal is being served. Curiously (and comically) we found ourselves anxiously waiting for the bell to ring, just like Pavlov’s dogs, in anticipation of a wonderful meal!

The tables are designed to seat about 10 guests, which is conducive to meeting the other guests. The meals are a mixture of styles: Indonesian, Chinese and best of all, Italian. The seafood served is truly delectable as it may be the catch of the day (giant prawns, spiny lobsters or some type of fish); and luckily, there is always some type of pasta dish served!

Wines, beer and other liquors are not included in the package, but one may purchase a bottle of wine or other drinks from the menu. Additionally, management does not frown upon those guests who bring their own spirits.

Other Activities:

The resort has on site, a PADI scuba dive shop and one may become certified at the resort. If already a certified-diver, one may join others for a wonderful day of diving. Diving is one of the main attractions at the resort and guest from Europe come to this resort to dive the local waters and see the spectacular abundance and variety of fish.

The resort offers guests equipment for snorkeling, sailing, windsurfing. Also available are treks in the forest or boat excursions to nearby islands. We participated in a boat excursion and were taken to a pretty little island for some snorkeling. A couple of hours later, we were picked up by the dive boat and headed back to the resort to partake in yet another wonderful meal.

Other times we just sat our verandah, enjoying the views and reading a good book. One afternoon, when the tide was low, we ventured to the other side of the island, just to see what was there. Another time, we joined a group of trekkers and we were taken to the top of Mount Cubadak, a very steep mini-mountain, which was challenging to climb. Once at the top, however, we were rewarded with an incredible view of the surrounding islands. There is always something to do, or if you wish to do nothing but relax, that's okay, too.

The owners, Federica and Nani treat every guest as if they are a family member, and children are very special guests at the resort. When it was time to depart, I felt as if we were leaving a little piece of our heart in Paradiso Village.

This resort is highly recommended for those seeking solitude, beauty, excellent diving and snorkeling and best of all, incredible cuisine.